Living and working in Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed into the Gulf Coast Region, I discovered a path that I finally found satisfying: working with mission-driven organizations that were committed to supporting and lifting up historically underserved communities.

It was a topic I knew well: my family comes from very humble roots. I lived in some of the same types communities that folks have been trying to rebuild and revitalize. I understand that a number of components comprise a vibrant community: housing, education, small businesses, jobs, safety, health car...and so much more. With community and economic development, there is no one solution.

My many years in government honed my knowledge and experience in issues related to consumer protection, financial inclusion, and community reinvestment. My tenure as Director of the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) enabled me to help strengthen the partnerships between public and private sectors, and to obtain additional financial resources for CDFIs that are providing affordable capital, credit, and financial services to distressed markets across this country.

Someone once asked me what I wanted to do after having spent decades in the public service arena. It is this: to continue working with CDFIs and other community-based organizations in their quest to help low-income communities achieve economic self-sufficiency. Some might say this is an unrealistic dream. But for me, it's a dream worth striving for!